Country Guides
Our expert ECCE members have compiled country specific guides to support interns and job seekers with useful tips and resources. Countries listed are: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. These country guides will enable interns and job seekers to prepare for initial research about:
- the labour market,
- common selection methods,
- job sites to explore,
- living in one of these countries,
- culture,
- professional and social networking and
- entrepreneurship.
- Visit one of the country pages to explore further:
United Kingdom
Industry & Employment Trends
Currently, (at time of writing), according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) February 2016 data for October to December 2015, in the region of 31.42 million people were in work, which suggests an increase of 521,000 people in work, with 22.98 million people working full time than the previous year.
The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (DBIS) proposes in their Q2 2015 report that high skilled employment (which includes managers, directors, professional occupations / associate professional and technical occupations) over the last decade has decreased. This has been attributed to various factors, particularly shifting of job patterns based on SOC (Standard Occupation Classification) codes.
Over the few years, the services sector has seen a growth in the UK market with industries. For example:
· The financial and professional service proposes more than 7% of employment. Although this sector is viewed as being London based, two thirds are based around other cities within the UK (prospects.ac.uk),
· It was noted by DBIS, SME’s (small and medium enterprises) accounted for just over 99% of the overall private business community in the UK
· There are around a fifth of SMEs which function in the construction sector, with just 1% in the Mining, Quarrying and Utilities sector
The National Career Service has also compiled labour market information, providing a brief summary on sectors: · Administration: This type of work is found in many or all sectors, including local government. Roles can include civil service officers, payroll administrators or office supervisors. Due to the range and opportunities in this sector, although a decline is projected, it is (at time of writing), one of the largest in the country, with approximately over 2 million people employed. · Management:
Roles in this sector include managers, proprietors and business owners, as well as hotel and restaurant owners, shopkeepers, leisure managers, farm managers and management staff in customer service centres. It is suggested this sector will gradually develop in the coming years, with people either working full time or be self-employed. Prospects.ac.uk holds a wealth of material not just on sectors, but also a very useful tool for searching internships and graduate level jobs in the UK and abroad. It is noted: · Finance:
“Financial and related professional services contribute around 12% of the UK's gross domestic product (GDP) and account for more than 7% of total employment, according to a 2015 report by TheCityUK, an organisation that represents the industry”, (prospects.ac.uk). · Creative Arts & Design
“The UK’s creative industries were responsible for contributing £76.9billion to the economy in 2013, according to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. As the highest growth sector, it accounted for 1.8 million jobs in 2014 - an increase of nearly 16% since 2011 (Creative Industries: Focus on Employment June 2015),” (prospects.ac.uk).>/p>
The above demonstrates some sector information. In order for you to carry out your research about sectors in the UK, the above sites are a useful start. This should lead you to exploring professional bodies/institutes where you can further expand on your findings. It is crucial to use reliable, update-to-date information about your sector of interest; it could be a possible question in your interview. Embassy Listings / Visa To study and work in the UK, if you are from an international country (outside the EU); you will need to ensure you have completed and submitted relevant documentations to gain the right visa to work or study in the UK. Each application is managed individually and you will need to seek professional advice and guidance for this matter. Start your research early and liaise with your country specific visa office. The below will be a good starting point: · All relevant visa information can be found on the UK government website on, gov.uk.
· On the same site, you will find Foreign Embassies in the UK.
Job Search Strategies
Before you start your job search, you want to be in a position to have the proficiency and confidence to make or be informed about your career decision/s. This is where your research skills will be further utilised. It is advised, at the earliest stage possible to:· Understand the current labour market, particularly the sector and country you wish to work in,
· What is the current state of employment for your sector(s) of interest?
· How does the earnings potential differ regionally (e.g. London compared to Manchester, Cardiff or Edinburgh)?
· Where in the country is your sector growing or even declining, where is the demand?
· Can you sustain the living conditions (cost of housing, food and travel to and from work)?
· What type of lifestyle do you want – will your specialism support this?
· You will find (on the guide), some data on Industry and Employment trends (at time of writing),
· Investigate and gather sector information to further your knowledge about the challenges/issues, what are the divisions within the sector(s) and identify what it could be like to work in your sector(s) of interest?
· Explore people who are doing the role you wish to enter - what does their career journey look like, how have they progressed, and what can they share with you about the sector?
· Research companies/employers, including SME’s (small, medium enterprises – these accounted for 99.3% of private sector businesses in the UK from the start of 2015), within your sector(s) of interest, what is their position in the market?
· Where and how do organisations advertise, how do they recruit, what is their process, do they outsource to specialist agencies?
· Become familiar with recruitment processes; how many stages are there, what is the recruitment cycle time line, what does this involve; online applications, CV and cover letter, psychometric tests, telephone/video/skype interview, assessment centre (group exercises, final interview) and or face to face interview?
· Prepare to network and use social media; identify who the decision makers are within a company, use LinkedIn and/or Twitter, attend events, use reliable resources to ensure your findings are of value, up-to-date and are they correct?
· As with other popular destinations, London is a competitive market; it is advised one is prepared to be persistent and resilient to face set-backs and continue searching.
CV
First impressions count. Your CV is a personal sales document, your brand you will be promoting to potential recruiters/employers. The content you add will need to be tailored and specific to the role you apply to, as well as including your unique selling points – what makes you stand out from other candidates. Below are some tips to consider when creating an engaging CV.
· You must carry out some research; identify what your potential employer requires from candidates. Revisit the job advert; look at the job description including the person specification and employer website. Consider what skills, strengths, qualifications and attributes they seek. Your CV will be assessed according to their criteria, thus ensure your content is relevant and up-to-date.
· Precision is of importance. Your CV should not be more than 2 pages long. There are however sectors/industries where only a 1 page CV is standard. On average, employers are spending between 5 -10 seconds on a CV, 30 the tops. Thus, keep it short, accurate with clear succinct language. Formatting needs to be clean, with clear sub-headings.
· Tailor your CV to each role. This is where you will apply your research. Knowing the prerequisites of a role will allow you to tailor your CV to address the employer’s criteria. Do not send a generic CV; employers see thousands of CVs and they will notice if you haven’t tailored yours.
· You will need to have examples or evidence for each skill/competency, strength and attribute the employer requires. You will need to focus your examples on contributions, responsibilities and achievements and your ability to accomplish what they require you to do in your role of interest. If you can substantiate your examples/facts with numbers, it undoubtedly helps you to market yourself.
· Ensure you don’t have any gaps on your CV and don’t make up something because you do have a gap. Consider examples from work experience, volunteering, academic work (projects), extra-curricular activities, sports activities, competitions and travel.
· If you are applying online, it may be that recruiters are using initial computer screening software. Denoting, the software is functioned to select keywords to sift your CV to the next stage. Thus, embed keywords when addressing facts on your CV to show suitability.
· If you are a career changer, you may want to consider skills based CV – the format is slightly different. You will highlight using skill words (e.g. Communication) as sub-headings, be sure these reflect the job you are applying to. For each sub-heading, you will still need to show examples by the use of bullet points. This could be followed by the sub-headings Professional Experience, where you will list your job titles, employers along with dates; you will also have Education as a sub-heading (listing where you previously studied).
· Ascertain your grammar, spelling, use of phrases / terminology is accurate. If English is not your first language, get it checked.
Interview Advice
There are various types of selection procedures, some include CV with a cover letter, others applications, some are combined, with telephone / video or Skype interviews, psychometric tests and or assessment centres. Commonly, employers will use a competency based framework to set interview questions to ask all candidates, reflecting consistency ad objectivity to determine if you are the right candidate for the job.
Employers are seeking for you to demonstrate specific skills, knowledge, experience and attributes for the role they have advertised. By using the STAR methodology, it will help one to prepare and convey key responsibilities, achievements and contributions with examples or evidence. STAR can be used not just for interviews, also for completing cover letters and application forms.
STAR, what does it stand for? S - Situation, T- Task, A - Action and R - Results. In order to address specific competencies, this structure will aid you to illustrate detailed answers. Consider a situation you have had where the task(s) you were involved in featured skills you can provide tangible actions for; leading to strong results.
Tips:
· You need to (in advance), prepare to research the sector, company and role you have applied or are applying to. This should include:
· Investigating recent stories or news, what are the current trends, challenges, who are the competitors in this sector, use a variety of reliable resources to back-up your findings,
· Know your employer; read their website, what are their values, strategies, objectives, their place in the market, read what are they tweeting or what do they have on their LinkedIn page,
· Reexamine the job description & person specification, what are the competencies/skills, experience, qualifications and knowledge required to do the job,
Practice interview questions.
· Strive for good hygiene; comb your hair neatly, don’t over power with strong aftershave or perfume, scents are personal,
· Avoid bold jewellery, strong make-up colours, keep it conservative for the corporate environment, and even if you know the business is casual/business wear – go professional, it shows determination and respect,
· Ensure you have the right attire for the interview (colours and style) and that you know how to get to the location; avoid sleeping late, rest well and have an early night,
· Avoid taking uninvited company (friend, partner, children); if you would like to be accompanied, arrange for a separate location to meet after,
At the interview, be sure: · Your mobile is on silent or switched off,
· Extend a firm hand-shake (before and after the interview),
· Create a good impression through non-verbal communication by ensuring good eye contact (with all panel members if more than one interviewer), provide cues that you are listening either by nodding or smiling (albeit, not continuously),
· Ask for permission if you would like to take notes,
· Ensure you are speaking clearly, succinctly and not chewing gum,
· If offered, it is ok to accept a glass of water, this will buy you a few seconds, allow you to pause to consider how you will answer,
· Show enthusiasm and be positive with your responses,
· Be ready to ask some questions, this show you are eager to learn more about them or the organisation.
· Regarding Equality Act 2010, if you have disclosed a disability, the employer will be in a position to make reasonable adjustments for you to attend the interview. Some employers have a two tick symbol. What this means is, employers will interview a disabled candidate who meets the minimum criteria and to consider one based on abilities.